Au Revoir Ovi: Nokia self-brands services ahead of Windows Phone

Out with the old, in with the new. Not only has Symbian received its marching orders, but Ovi - Nokia's suite of services and products - is also up for a significant rebranding, cutting the mental ties with the old and ushering in a Windows Phone-friendly relaunch. As of July 2011, Nokia will begin renaming Ovi services as plain Nokia services.

The services themselves - and Nokia's roadmap plans for them - remain unchanged the company insists. That should add up to a "smooth and seamless" transition which, Nokia reckons, will be done by the end of 2012. Of course, next year is when we're expecting to see Nokia's Windows Phone push, with platforms like Ovi Maps becoming Nokia Maps and forming the basis of location services on the Microsoft-powered smartphones.

Not only will new phones see the Ovi name retired, but software updates for existing models will usher in the nomenclature refresh too. "By centralizing our services identity under one brand, not two, we will reinforce the powerful master brand of Nokia and unify our brand architecture – while continuing to deliver compellingopportunities and experiences for partners and consumers alike" says EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Jerri DeVard. "Our mobile experiences are tightly integrated with our devices – there is no longer a differentiation."